Siphonic circulating apparatus



Feb 16, .1932. G. T. PROUT SIPHONIC CIRCULATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 15,1929 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 16, 1932 STATES GEORGE T. PRO'UT, OFGOVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

SIPHONIC GIRGULATING APPARATUS Application filed August 15,1929. SerialNo. 386,188.

My invention relates to improvements in steam generating boilers,particularly locomotive boilers. One of its objects is to provideimproved apparatus to promote anactive circulationof water within theboiler. Another object is to protect the crown sheet of the boiler frominjury. Another object is to increase the fuel efiiciency. Another object is to increase the boiler efiiciency per unit of heating surface.Another object is to provide improved siphonic means to promote anactive and correct flow and circulation of water in the boiler and whichis strong and reliable and adapted to pass a large volume of water andthereby prevent excessive heating or burning at any locality of thesiphonic means or members. Another object isto provide improved siphoniccirculating means which is mutually supporting and practical- 1y freefrom unequal strains, or locally excessive strains, or to unequalstrains due to uneven heating. My invention also comprises certaindetails of form and arrangement and combination of components, all ofwhich 7 will be fully set forth in the description of the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the fire-box and a portionof the boiler of a locomotive showing my improvements applied thereto,being a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is avertical section through the same takenon line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crown sheet and one of the sideplates detached.

Fig. 1V is a perspective View of one of the siphonic water circulatingmembers detached.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 1.

In steam generating boilers, particularly locomotive boilers, where itis desirable to generate relatively large volumes of steam in a limitedperiod of time, it is desirable and important to secure a relativelystrong and active circulation of the water in the boiler in order tobring the cooler portions of the water into contact with the heatedboiler plates, and thereby eiiect a rapid transfer of heat to the water,and prevent local development of water vapor in contact with the heatedplates to an extent to prevent access of water to the heated plate untilthe plate becomes overheated or burned. It is also important to providefor the circulation of relatively large volumes of water in contact withthe crown sheet, siphonic members, and all parts of the boiler plates inintimate contact with the highly heated gases of the fire box. It isalso important to so arrange the siphonic members and parts exposed todirect contact with the highly heated 'gases of the fire box that theymay have and retain a maximum strength and not be subjected to localexcessive strains due to changes in temperature or zones of relativelydifierent temperature. In apparatus heretofore employed the localconcentration of heat in the fire box combined with a restrictedcirculation of water in the boiler was liable to cause excessive localheating and burning of the plates and boiler members.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one embodiment of my invention inwhich 15 represents the sheath or outside boiler plate of a locomotiveboiler, 16 represents the crown-sheet, 17 represents the rearward fluesheet, 18 the fiue tubes, 19 the fire box, 20 the fire box doorway, and21 the fire box door. The fire box is shown as being heated by meansof'a fluid fuel burner 22, but may be fired by means of coal or othersolid fuel if desired. The outside plate 15 and the crown sheet 16 arebrought down upon both sides and on the front of the fire box soas toform water legs or jacket spaces 23 substantially surrounding the firebox.

In order to promote a rapid and vigorous circulation of water in theboiler and including these water acket spaces 23, substantially asindicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, I provide two siphonie members 24,each of which comprises a substantially vertical element or circulatingchannel 25, and a substantially horizontal element or circulatingchannel 26, which circulating channels 25 and 26 unite at substantiallyright angles to form an L- shaped circulating channel leadinghorizontally in from a water jacket space 23 at the side ofthe fire -boxand thence upwardly edges of said plates.

- flue sheet.

through a vertically directed section and leading into the boiler spaceabove the crown sheet. Both the horizontal section 26 and the verticalsection 25 of the circulating channels are exposed on all sides to thehighly heated gases of the fire box, and said circulating channels arerelatively so ample, short, and unobstructed as to be able tocarry'andcirculate such large volumes of water as to prevent anaccumulation or pocket of steam or water vapor at any locality where theplate could become overheated or burnt. The horizontal sections 26 arecurved and inclined in cross section, and thereby provide not only for acirculation of water horizontally toward and through the verticalsections 25, but they also provide for a transverse circulation of anywater in excess of what may be taken up through the vertical section 25,this transverse circulation being directed from the lower end of thewater jacket space 23 into the lower end of the section 26 and thencetoward the upper end of section 26 and out into the upper portion of thewater jacket space 23 and up over the crown-sheet. The flow of waterthrough the sections 25 and 26 pro vides an ample supply and flow ofwater over all portions of the upper face of the crownsheet therebypreventing excessive heating of the crown-sheet. The channels 26 alsodraw in from the forward and relatively cooler flue portion of theboiler through the open ends 28 of sections 26 a supply of water to becirculated upwardly through either the sections 26 and 25, or throughthe sections 26 alone to a position above the crown-sheet.

The siphonic members are adapted to be formed from two sheet metalplates 31 and 32, united by welded joints along the meeting The siphonicmembers are right hand and left hand counterparts one of the other andeach have two flanges 35, and 36. The flanges 35 are attached by rivetsor welds to the top of the crown-sheet to register with perforations 38through the crown-sheet. The flanges 36 are attached to the sides of thecrown-sheet to register with perforations 30 through the sides of thecrown-sheet. The edges 37 are not flanged but are attached by lap-weldsto the rear flue sheet 17 below the flue tubes to register with theflanges 52 of perforations 40 through the rear The siplionic members 24are stayed by means of a series of stay bolts 42.

Additional stay rods may be employed whenever required to strengthen thestructure. The L-shape of the siphonic members, and the three points ofattachment thereof to the boiler render said siphonic members and theirattachment joints particularly strong and rigid and self supporting, andfree from strains due to the changes in temperature or irregular localchanges of temperature. The curved portions 54 at the junctions of thesections 25 and 26 serve to compensate for expansion. corrugations orcurved outlines 53 are given to the flue sheet 17 adjacent to theperforations 40, which are greater at the center of the sheet 17 andtaper out to a practically plane face near the edges of the sheet 17 asshown in Fig. 5. These corrugations 53 materially assist in compensatingfor expansion and contraction of the adjacent metal. Apertures 46 and 47on opposite sides of the door frame 20, serve as stoker holes or aspoker holes. A series of tiles 68 bridge a portion of the space betweenthe siphonic members and rest upon the curved portions 54. The meetingedges of the tiles are beveled to prevent the tiles being fusedtogether.

The apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerablemodifications within the scope of the claims without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a locomotive boiler fire box having a crown, side water legs andflue sheet; a siphonic member applied thereto, said member comprisingvertical and bottom sections substantially coextensive and providingwater spaces disposed in substantially L-shaped relation, the saidbottom section having its lower and upper walls arranged parallel andcurved upwardly from front to rear, the said bottom sectioncommunicating at its front end with the lower part of said flue sheetand at one side with said leg in an upwardly curving direction, saidsection being in communication with said leg throughout substantiallythe entire height thereof, and the upper end of said vertical sectioncommunieating with said crown sheet.

2. In a locomotive boiler fire box having a crown, side water legs andflue sheet a siphonic member applied thereto, said member comprisingvertical and bottom sections substantially coextensive and providingwater spaces disposed in substantially L-shaped relation, the forwardend of said vertical section being concave, the said bottom sectionhaving its lower and. upper walls arranged parallel and curved upwardlyfrom front to rear, the said bottom section communicating at its frontend with the lower part of said 1'.

signature.

GEORGE T. PROUT'.

